Low-level alarm for gasoline tanks



March 1,1927. Y l 1,619,339

A. FREDERICKS LowV LEVEL ALARM FOR GASOLINE TANKS Filed Julye. 1925 *l JU 4 5 I nl.' 4a

nil/1111111111 lll/111114 III/IIIIIIII A409 ma/vw fifth' to provide a'device of this class which Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

aDoLF FREDERIGKS, or MoNTEREY-rA-aii, CALIFORNIA.

,Low-navet Lama Foa GAsoLINE TANKS.

l Application Vflled. July 8,

'My invention relates to `*a lowlevel alarm for gasoline tanks, more particularly *tov a device for producingV an alarm when r`the gasoline "reaches a lpre-determined low Vlevel 'in an automobile tank, andthe objectsfofiin vention are: firsti to provideanj'alarm ofthis class Vin, which a distinct, audible 'sound will be made vas 'soon -ast-he "level in Ithe 'tank reaches a pre-.determined pdint, a1 idjin which nosound'is produced kas long as fthe level is higher than"'this predetermined point; second, toprovide a device of this yclass with a plunger operating in ,a cylinder V and 4sus-` pended'on a spring sothat when the gasoline in the tanka1id therefore inthe cylinder, does 'not hold the plunger, itacts and reacts upon the spring', ringing a bell positioned outside of the tank;Y third',jt0 provide an alarm device of this'class which Lmay be positionedin ythe 'ordinary ii/lling hole cap of theY gasoline tank, or otherwise if desired; fourth, to provide a device'of vthis class yin which theoperation ofthe bellis stopped when the gasoline level 'is high, because the gasoline cannot quickly escape from the cylinder, therefore the plunger cannot readilyv reciprocate in the cylinder; and

is Yvery simple and economical 'of const-ruction, durable, eiicien't easy to apply tothe Vdifferent'makes of vgasolinev tanks, and which will' not readily deteriorate or get out of order. i l y Y Vith these and other objects `in view as will appearhereinafter, fm'y invention con sists of certaifnnOvel 'features 'of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail, and .-particulallyst Vforth in thcl appended claims,referencebeing had tozthe Vac'companying drawings and to the. characters ,of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which: y Fgure l is a longitudinal sectional View of thedevice` in one form shown mounted in a tank ready for use; Fig. 2 is a sectional 'view Ithrough 2-2 of Fig; 1;'Fig. `3 is aside view yshowing the operating Slever and supy portfrolm the line 3-3v of Figi; Fig. 4; is a fragmentary sectionalview ofthe bell Iand cap in a slightly modified form from that of the Figs. l'to 3; vand Fig. V5 isa fragmentary Y top view ofthe same Fig. 4. y Similar characters ofreference -refer to from the line `5 5 of 1925. seriai'n'o. 42,205.

Y several views of the drawings.

f The cylinder 1, plunger Q, spring 13,ller cap i,support 5,lever-6, spring, bell member 8 and'spring 9 constitute the principal parts and Yportions'of my alarm device inone Y form.

The filler cap 4 as shown in 'Figui is the ordinary type used Vin Ford automobile gasoline tanks. It is however, 'int-ernally threaded at 4a and into which is screwed the open fendy of the Acylinder p member V1, said cylinder member beinglthreaded to lit there` in. VClhis cylinder member is closed at "its opposite end land isfprovided with a Vsmall orifice la, which isy adapted to permit the slow entrance and exit of gasoline tothe cylinder. This cap 4 Ais-als'o provided with a hole il therein, in which is supported the one'end of the spring 3, whichis an ordinary coilspringwhich fitsV inside `of thecylinder 'l and extends to near the end thereof. Upon this spring 3 is suspended the plunger'mem-l ber which is preferably solid metal to provide, sufiicien't weight to cause movemcn't'up and down inritlie cylinder with the vibration of the automobile `when traveling on fthe roadway. YThe plunger 2 is provided with an annular ,groove 2a in its upperY end in as shown best in Fig. l of the drawings.

'It will be here noted that this plunger fits Y the cylinder closeenough so that when there is gasoline vbetween the inside Yend of the cylinder l "andthe plunger 2, it will prevent the downward movement v'of the plunger loe-- causeY the'gasoline cannotvescape fast enough toY permit the movement vof the plunger. The cap L'is.providedcentrally with *a hole in which `is rigidly mounted the support v51 and held rigidly iniposition by means ofthe nuts Vfandfb. This support. extends upwardly from the'ca'p some distance, and positioned .on the same isV a bell member v8, which lis supported by means of a compres sion spring 9, interposedbetweenfthe nut 5EL and the inner side of the bell member 8,and

the bell member 8 is held in posit-ion againstv vided at its upper end with a right angle turn (Sb, and on its extended end with a clapper member (3, which is adapted to engage the interior o' the bell member S and cause the bell member 8 to vibrate, it bcingnoted that the plunger 2 engages the portion 6 of the lever with its reciprocation in the cylinder 1 caused by its suspension on the spring 3 when there is no gasoline in the lower end oi the cylinder to prevent the reciprocntion of the plunger. v The cylinder 1 is also provided with an air hole lc 'or relief of the air pressure and interposed between the support and the lever (i is` a spring which tends to shift the lever away from the support as soon as the plunger is not in engagement with said lever (i.`

In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings,

the cap l0 is the conventional form of cap tor screwing on the outside of the gasoline filling opening of the tank, and in this case `it is necessary to secure the bell member lll rigidl' to the cap so that the bell member 11 may e used for turning the cap tightly in position, in which case the cap is provided with an upwardly extending portion l0 which extends upwardly and against which the inner face of the bell l1 rests. This portion l0a being provided with an extended portion which interlocks with the bell member 11 to prevent the bell member 11 from turning relatively to the lug 10. `Mounted centrally in the cap l0 is the support 1Q, the lower end of which is the same as the support 5 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the upper end is provided with nuts 1Q and 12b, which clamp the bell member and cap rigidly together as shown beet in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. It will be noted that the cylinder is supported by an externally threaded portion of the cap 10 instead of an internally threaded portion as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Otherwise the construction of the alarm device isthe same as shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive.

Although I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement o'f parts and portions, `and a certain modification thereof, I do not wisli to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement nor to the modification, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forthin the appended claims. u

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an alarmdevice fora gasoline level indicator, a cylinder supported vertically in the upper portion of the tank, provided with a small orifice in the lower end thereof, a plunger reciprocally mounted in" said cylinder, a spring upon which said plunger is suspended, a lever positioned in said cylinder normally free from but adapted to bc engaged by said plunger with the reciprocation of said plunger, and extending out ot said tank, and a bell member adapted to be engaged by said lever.

2. `In an alarm device for a gasoline level indicator, a cylinder supported vertically in the upper portion ot the tank, provided with a small orifice in the lower end thereof, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said cylinder, a spring upon which said plunger is suspended, a lever positioned in said cylinder adapted to be engaged by said plunger with the reciprocation of said plunger, and extending out of said tank, a bell member adapted to be engaged by said lever, and means for shifting said lever in a disengaged position relative to said bell and in opposition to the bell-ringing action of said plunger.

3. n a device ot the class described, a perpendicular cylinder member provided with a small orilice in its lower end communicating with the gasoline in the tank, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said cylinder and suspended on a spring, a bell member, and `means normally free from but adapted to be engaged `by said plunger for ringing said bell member.

4. In a device of the class described, a perpendicular cylinder member provided with a small orifice inA its lower end communicating with the gasoline in the tank, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said cylinder and suspended on a spring, a bell member, and means for ringing said bell member,` said means including a support, a lever pivotally mounted on said support, and adapted to be engaged by said plunger and a spring tending to separate said lever from said support.

5. In a device ol the class described, a verticalcasing provided with an orifice at its lower end adapted to communicate with liquid in `a tank, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said casing,ire`silient means for suspending said plunger in said casing, a bell mounted at the upper end of said casing, and a lever pivotally n'iounted at its one end withinsaid casing adjacent said plunger and extending with its opposite end beyond said casing and adapted to engage said bell, said lever being adapted to be struck by said plunger a short dista-nce from its pivotal axis and impart considerable movement to its free end.

6. In a device of the class described, a vertical casing provided with anoriliee at its lower end adapted to communicate with liquid in a tank, a plunger reciprocally mounted in said easing, resilient means for suspending said plunger in'said casing. a bell mounted at the upper end of said casing, a lever pivotally mounted at its one end Within said casing adjacent said plunger and extending with its opposite end beyond said easing and adapted to engage said bell, said lever being adapted to be struck by said plunger a short distance from its pivotal axis and impart considerable movement Y to its free end, and spring means Afor normally shifting the freeend of said lever in disengaged relation with said bell.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 10 my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of July, 1925.

ADOLF FREDERICKS. 

